Little Johns stay perfectDANVILLE — The Danville Little Johns thumped the Bigelow Panthers 11-4 on Tuesday and stayed undefeated. Lead-off batter Jamey Holbrook reached base all four times at bat. He was 2-for-4, scored three runs and had an RBI. Trent Cathey was 1-for-1. He had two walks and scored two runs. Jake Madding reached base all four times at bat. He was 2-for-4, scored four runs and had four RBIs. Madding hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning. Ben Cantr...

Cheak throws perfect game against WaldronWALDRON — Seth Cheak threw a perfect game on Tuesday during the Dover Pirates’ 11-0 victory over the Waldron Bulldogs. Cheak struck out nine and walked none across five innings. “It’s pretty remarkable,” Dover head coach Jason McGhee said. “I think I’ve only seen one other perfect game in my coaching career.” The game was shortened because the Pirates held a 10-0 advantage over their opponent. McGhee said that didn’t lessen Cheak’s accomplishm...

Wonder Boys drop doubleheaderSHAWNEE, Okla. – The Wonder Boys rallied in the second game of their doubleheader with the Bison, but Arkansas Tech (9-15, 4-8 Great American Conference) fell short as they lost both games of its doubleheader with Oklahoma Baptist (16-5, 8-4 GAC) 13-4 and 6-5 Monday afternoon. Next Up The Wonder Boys will look to bounce back at home tomorrow, as they will take on Henderson State in a non-conference game scheduled for 6 p.m. at Tech Field. Game...

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Webb throws no-hitter over CharlestonCHARLESTON — The Atkins Lady Red Devils defeated the Charleston Lady Tigers 4-0 on Monday as Sydney Webb threw a no-hitter across seven innings. Webb struck out five and walked one during the game. Atkins took a 3-0 run in the third inning off Webb’s sacrifice fly and Peyton Harvill’s RBI single. Aly Darter went 2-for-4 from the plate. She singled in the third and seventh innings. The Lady Red Devils will play Lamar on Thursday. Atkins 4, Char...

Little Johns stump GatorsDANVILLE — The Danville Little Johns defeated the Two Rivers Gators 10-4 on Monday. The Little Johns are on a five-game win streak. Jamey Holbrook opened the game from the bump. He struck out three and walked one, but after walking three straight Gators, Jake Madding took over. Maddding struck out 13 over the next five innings. Dalton Reagon pitched the seventh inning. He struck out three and gave up one hit. Zach Stanley led from the plate. H...

Jones gets 200th career winPOTTSVILLE — Lady Apaches head softball coach Greg Jones got his 200th career win on Monday as Pottsville defeated the Bigelow Lady Panthers 16-0. Jones has been with the Lady Apaches for six years and coached at Dardanelle for three years. “It’s a big accomplishment,” Jones said. “And I’m proud of it, but it’s really a testament to the girls that I’ve gotten to coach. They’re so talented and so committed. It hit me after the game. I guess it ...

Lady Lizards beat SpringdaleDARDANELLE — The Dardanelle Lady Sand Lizards defeated the Springdale Lady Bulldogs 4-2 on Friday. Dardanelle trailed 2-0 heading into the third period, but the Lady Sand Lizards scored four runs spread across the bottom of the third and fourth innings to take a lead and beat the rain. “I felt a little bit of deja vu when it started to rain on us at the beginning of the game,” Dardanelle head coach Lyndsey Hill said. “The same thing happened t...

Can we get a shot clock, please?The Jonesboro Hurricane is certainly a good team. There’s no denying that. But I watched in horror Thursday night as they played keep-away from the Russellville Lady Cyclones throughout the entire fourth quarter in the Class 6A State Championship. Russellville was in foul trouble and couldn’t play overly aggressive or foul to regain possession. The strategy made sense, but it isn’t basketball. For the layman, the shot clock is a timer designed...

Golden Suns' Season Ends in NCAA 2nd RoundA fast start to overtime propelled Pittsburg State University to a 91-80 victory over Arkansas Tech University in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Division II Tournament at John Lance Arena in Pittsburg, Kan., on Saturday night. After regulation ended with the score tied 75-75, the Gorillas (28-5) got back-to-back 3-pointers from Mikaela Burgess and Cathy Brugman to begin the extra period. Burgess added a layup at the 2:40 mark of overtime to...

Lady Wildcats fall short in 2A championship HOT SPRINGS — The Hector Lady Wildcats came up short against the Earle Lady Bulldogs at Summit Arena in the Class 2A State Championship. Earle hit five 3-pointers to widen an already lopsided scoreboard during the 63-41 loss. “We envisioned a different outcome,” Hector head coach Walt Davis said after the game. “But we needed to score a little more and stop them a little more to do that. That’s basketball. The game unfolds the way it unfolds.”...

Russellville comes up short against Jonesboro, 50-43HOT SPRINGS — “Hey, I’m proud of you,” a teary-eyed Alyssa Owens told Emily Posey on the sideline after the Lady Cyclones’ 50-43 loss to the Jonesboro Lady Hurricane on Thursday inside Summit Arena. Russellville held Jonesboro scoreless for over eight minutes in the fourth period and had a chance to tie the score with just over a minute left in the game, but Shameka Ealy’s 3-pointer went off the rim and into the hands of a Lady Hurricane defen...

Sand Lizards beat AtkinsATKINS — The Dardanelle Sand Lizards scored 10 runs across the first two innings during their 12-6 victory over the Atkins Red Devils on Monday. Atkins answered with four runs in the bottom of the third inning, but the Sand Lizards scored a run in the fourth and a run in the fifth inning to widen the score. The Red Devils scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Atkins collected seven hits against Dardanelles six, but it wasn’t enough to su...

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Courier sports staffThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Pirates blank Lamar in 5DOVER — The Dover Pirates shut out the Lamar Warriors 10-0 in five innings on Monday. The Pirates scored seven runs in the first three innings — A two-run double by Blake Brown in the first, an RBI single by Luke Price and an RBI double by David Beavers in the second fueled the offensive onslaught. Price finished with two extra-base hits for the Pirates. Price and Brown combined for six hits and four RBIs. Baxter Wallis struck out 11 across fi...

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Courier sports staffThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Apaches thump HectorHECTOR — The Pottsville Apaches defeated the Hector Wildcats 12-3 on Monday. Pottsville’s Will Stewart, Greyson Stevens and Mason Huie combined for six hits and four RBIs against the Wildcats. The Apaches got the go-ahead run in the third inning with two RBI singles. Pottsville added another four runs in the fourth. Stevens singled to score Jake White early in the inning. That was followed by Rylee Huie’s single to score Austin Bell and Steven...

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Courier sports staffThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Cyclones defeat MaumelleMAUMELLE — The Russellville Cyclones defeated Maumelle 4-3 on Monday. Russellville tied the scored 3-3 in the sixth inning and after a scoreless seventh, Ryan Harpeneau got the go-ahead run courtesy running for Michael Mullen, who hit a single. Harpeneau stole second and advanced to third on an error by Logan Johnson. Harpeneau crossed the plate after a balk was called against the Hornets’ pitcher. Joel Barker was the winning pitcher in 2.67 i...

Lady Cyclones embark for state finalThe Russellville Lady Cyclones loaded up for Hot Springs at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday outside Cyclone Arena. Russellville (22-6) has just one game left on its schedule — and it’s circled. The Lady Cyclones will take on the Jonesboro Lady Hurricane at 8:45 p.m. today at the Hot Springs Convention Center. It will mark at least the fourth state final appearance by the Lady Cyclones and their chance to bring home the second state championship in scho...

Foreign exchange student joins Lady Cyclones for state runEster Polanco picked a good time to participate in the foreign exchange program and join the Russellville Lady Cyclones basketball team. Polanco, who is a senior from Valladolid, Spain, joined the basketball team because her host family discovered she liked to play. “The first friends I made here were on the basketball team,” she said. “My host family found out I like to play, so they said I should join, so I did.” And what a time to join. Alt...

Lady Wildcats prepared for state championshipHECTOR — The Lady Wildcats are used to being the underdog. They entered the Class 2A State Tournament as the No. 4 seed and shocked everyone through today’s state final against the Earle Lady Bulldogs inside the Hot Springs Convention Center. Are they nervous? Hector head coach Walt Davis figured they were. But were they ready? “Absolutely,” Davis said. “The funny thing is, other teams’ expectations of us haven’t been that high, but we knew ho...

Conference champs once more; Golden Suns roll past SWOSUBARTLESVILLE, Okla. – Fatima Adams turned in a 34-point, 12-rebound performance, while Bre Brooks chipped in 21 points, six boards, and six assists as the No. 15 Arkansas Tech Golden Suns basketball team (26-3) rolled to a 106-85 win over Southwestern Oklahoma (20-11) in the championship game of the 2016 Great American Conference tournament. NEXT UP Arkansas Tech will learn its next opponent later Sunday evening when the NCAA announces its fie...

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ATU Athletic CommunicationsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley